Platen.



PATENTED OCT. 22. 1907.

H. H. McINTIRE.

PLATEN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1905.

arm: ZZZ? UNITED STATES HERVEY I-I. MGINTIRE, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

PLATEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2-2, 1907.

Application filed July 6. 1905. Serial No. 268.533.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Hnavnv I-I. MCINTIRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Platens, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in platens and while more especially adapted for use on photographic printing machine, it is applicable to other machines employing a platen, or it may be used independently of a machine or any operating mechanism.

The object of the present invention is to provide a platen with a yielding contact surface that will conform to any irregularities in the negative and effect a uniform contact on the negative and on the photo graphic paper.

The invention embodiesa frame in which is mounted a cushion having a filling of minute movable elements that constitute a heavy yielding mass when pressed into engagement with the negative, photographic paper or other object.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure l is a horizontal section through the cushion of the platen showing the cells or pockets containing the cushioning elements. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the platen and the top of a photographic printing machine with the platen shown in dotted lines in a raised position, and Fig. 3 is a detail in horizontal section of a portion of the cushion showing a modified form. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of one form of my improved cushion.

Making renewed reference to the drawings, 1 designates the case of a photographic printing machine, the top 2 of which is provided with an opening 3 which is closed by a ground glass 4 on which the negative 5 is positioned. i As usual, this case contains a plurality of in candcscent lamps 6 which emit light to the negative.

The platen in Fig. 2 is shown hinged to a strip 7 on the top of the case, though it may be attached in any other manner, It consists of a rectangular frame 8 pro vided with a knob-handle 9 and with a cover plate 10 beneath which the cushion 11 is mounted.

The cushion preferably consists of a sack of strong fabric, the edges of which are secured, as by tacks 12, to the inner edges of the frame 8. This sack is filled with minute movable elements such as shot, sand or similar yielding material so that when the platen is lowered and brought into intimate contact with the paper or negative orwith any other object, the movable elements may be shifted and evenly distributed throughout the sack to insure a uniform contact on the photographic paper and negative, the whole constituting a heavy yielding mass. The cushion is so arranged that its outer contact surface will slightly protrude beyond the lower face of the frame, its weight being sufficient to maintain it in such position.

In some instances, it is preferable to divide the cushion into a plurality of cells or pockets so as to prevent shifting of the movable elements when the frame is raised or lowered and thus hold said elements in a comparatively evenly distributed condition. The cells or pockets 13 may be formed by providing transverse partitions 14 of fabric, or by providing stay cords 15 that are arranged in close relation transversely of the cushion as shown in Fig. 3.

The stay cords will sulfice when the filling is of shot but when the filling consists of sand or other like material, the solid partitions l l are preferred though I do not wish to be understood as beinglimited to the provision of partitions as they may be omitted as shown in Fig. 4 without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

It being promised that the incandescent lamps 6 in the case are lighted and the negative in place upon the ground glass 4 with the photographic paper upon the negative, the platen may be lowered and the cushioning material in the sack will, when the latter contacts with the photographic paper, distribute itself evenly throughout the sack or pockets thereof and the lower contact face of the cushion will therefore bear with even pressure upon the photographic paper and effect a perfoot and uniform contact, conforming, as it does, to any irregularity in the negative and excluding all light from the back of the paper or outside of the case.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A platen provided with a cushion having a filling solid elements.

2. A platen provided with a cushion having a filling minute solid elements that constitutes a yielding mass.

3. A platen provided with a cushion having a filling of granular material, said material being divided into. groups within the cushion.

4. A platen comprising a frame, and a sack secured to the frame and having a filling of comminuted, movable elements.

5. A platen comprising a frame, a sack secured within the frame and having pockets, and a filling of granular material in each of said pockets.

6. A platen comprising a frame, a sack secured within the frame and having pockets, and a filling of minute movable elements in each of said pockets and constituting a yielding mass.

7. A platen comprising a frame, a cushion secured within the frame and consisting of a sack having transverse partitions, and a filling of minute movable elements within the sack separated into groups by said partitions.

8. The combination with the case of a photographic printing machine and the platen hinged thereto, of a cushion for said platen, said cushion consisting of a sack secured at its edges to the frame, and having a filling of minute movable elements that are divided into groups, and a cover plate for the frame, substantially as specified.

9. A platen comprising a frame, and a sack secured to the frame and having a filling of granular material.

HER VEY H. MCINTIRE.

Witnesses (moron ()mson, I G. M. Conn. 

